Report: Wonderlic scores correlate with arrests

Many people don’t take the Wonderlic intelligence test seriously as a part of the pre-draft process, but a recent study published by the American Journal of Applied Psychology this April just may give them a reason to.

The study found that there is a connection between how a player does on the test, and the amount of trouble he gets into during his career. The lower the score, the higher the chance of being arrested.

The study also looked into pre-draft arrests, and the impact they may have on a player’s future NFL career. Apparently, players arrested before the draft nearly double their likelihood of being arrested once on a team.

The results of the second part of the study are not shocking and are basic common sense, but the first part raises the question: Should we start taking the frequently mocked Wonderlic test more seriously? Perhaps there is indeed a connection between cognitive ability and the chances of a player ending up behind bars during his NFL career.